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Greetings. I am a governing board member of the Gilbert Public Schools District and wish to share constituent input I recently received when a vote of a letter of no objection was before me for a foreign trade zone approval in the City of Mesa.

I object to the idea of our government allowing tax breaks, incentives and/or subsidies to companies as a means of attracting business. I believe it is wrong for government to pick winners and losers- that is for the free market to decide with a level playing field. I spoke with parents, grandparents, and members of the business community about the vote before me and the idea of our state and City of Mesa allowing tax breaks to lure a company into the community. Every person I spoke with believed this is not a fair situation and that all businesses should be treated the same including the tax rate. Every individual was opposed to the favoritism being shown to the company in question. This practice is contrary to the Arizona Republican Platform. In Section 1 ‘Taxes, Jobs and the Economy’, parts 1-4 which states:

I would like to thank my fellow board members for agreeing on November 12 to table the vote on a letter of no objection in support of the establishment of a subzone of foreign trade zone. It is unfortunate that the vote was delayed due to a failure on the part of administration to provide all necessary information. I am greatly disappointed with the handling of this situation. Our citizens deserve better.

In the document provided to the board, the statement that concerned me the most was under ‘Property Tax Benefit’ which states, “The reclassification may result in a 75%-80% reduction in real and personal property taxes.” This statement seemed to contradict the spreadsheet provided by Administration relating to the “projected” tax revenue. Questions that came to my mind were, “Will this deal that provides a tax benefit to the applicant result in a larger tax burden to all the other GPS taxpayers? Could this deal be a potential harm to them?”

Since the delay in the vote, I have had the opportunity to obtain significantly more information and facts necessary to make an informed decision that is in the best interests of Gilbert Public Schools and all GPS taxpayers. I take my responsibility on the board seriously and am looking forward to casting my vote on Monday, November 18.

I want to extend my gratitude to the Gilbert Town Council and State Legislators of Legislative District 12 who were of great assistance in helping me obtain information that was lacking. The collaborative effort among our three levels of government is outstanding. I am leaning towards supporting this project and believe it can be a great asset to our community. However, if additional information is forthcoming that causes me concern, I reserve the right to change my vote.

I would like to thank all who have contacted me and shared their opinions.

“With appreciation of Julie Smith’s hard-working efforts to improve transparency and community involvement within Gilbert Public Schools District, I warmly endorse her for the Gilbert School Board. Julie appreciates the importance of all residents being able to approach and understand the district budget and will strive for this improvement.”

Lately, the officials at Gilbert Public Schools District Office have been following a pattern: They put an item on the Governing Board's agenda, tell the board they MUST DECIDE that night—it’s URGENT!--so the board, ignoring their role as the Employer and the District as Their Employees, bend over backwards to accommodate the District’s pre-ordained decision.

It’s happening again on October 2, Tuesday, at 7 pm. This will be a very important Gilbert Public Schools Board Meeting. The location has been changed to the Mesquite High School cafeteria, 500 S. McQueen.

Julie Smith's speech, see below, at the 7/3/2012 meeting is one of many reasons to vote for her for Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board in November. She is a diligent, hard-working conservative who fights for fiscal responsibility and transparency. Her favorite quote: "You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it." Albert Einstein. Her Top Priorities are: Students and Teachers.

Recently, my son came running into the house to report our flag in the front yard had been stolen. We all rushed outside to assess the damage. We found our flag pole bent and only the grommets from the flag with a few shreds of fabric left. Whoever did it probably stood on a boulder in the yard and jumped to grab the flag. My children asked in disbelief “who would do such a thing?” My heart sank. My only response was “a person without respect.”